222:, a kind of giant amoeba which comes from the sea and wreaks havoc on the land. After he recovers from the injuries suffered in the fight with the monster, Luke accepts the offer of a formal betrothal to the daughter of King Cymru. He then returns to Winchester, only to stand charged with the murder of his brother's wife and unborn child. He is sentenced to be crucified and burned alive. He challenges his brother to a sword duel to clear his name, though Peter, mistakenly assuming Luke wishes to die by the sword and escape the torturous execution, says he will merely wound Luke and Luke will still face the painful death. However, Peter is stricken with anger and grief, and despite his superior skill and strength, accidentally runs himself on Luke's sword during the ensuing fight (though Luke later wonders if Peter did it on purpose because he wished to die), and Luke finds himself the new Prince.
249:
falls in love with Luke's friend and principal military advisor, Edmund. When Luke attempts to exile Edmund to save face and the alliance, an insurrection ensues. The city's military commanders are divided between those supporting Edmund and those loyal to Luke. At a peace meeting, the city's senior
Captain, who had presented himself as a friendly mediator, turns on Luke and proposes that Princely rule be replaced by a council of commanding officers, in which all are equal. Deposed, a furious Luke is forced to flee beyond the Burning Lands, where Blodwen's royal father lives, and raise an army to take back what is rightfully his. King Cymru grimly aids him, considering Blodwen's betrayal an affront to his honour. While wintering at the Seers' sanctuary, Luke's loyal dwarf retainer, Hans, discovers how to make a weapon which will make Luke's army unbeatable: the
191:. A series of machinations by religious and political leaders results in his father becoming the new Prince of Winchester, and in Luke being named as his successor and future "Prince of Princes". Luke is, on the whole, pleased with his new position and takes pleasure in the nobleman's pastimes of hunting, hawking, riding, and military drill. Luke also takes pride in his father's success in leading the city to a number of victories on the battlefield. But before Luke reaches the age of seventeen his mother is murdered, his father is treacherously killed, and his elder half-brother Peter has engineered his own succession as the new Prince. Luke, realising that his position as a dispossessed heir is precarious, escapes the city for the Sanctuary of the High Seers, where he learns their surprising secrets.
254:
his native city, Luke realises that he cannot bear the human costs which a victory would entail. He forswears
Winchester and returns north to live as Cymru's adopted heir to the Wilsh kingdom. The trilogy ends on a hopeful note as the Seers, now called scientists, openly introduce technology to the more tolerant Wilsh people, who dedicate themselves to peacefully rebuilding modern civilisation.
35:
218:. Luke is astonished to see that several of the prejudices of the southern lands are not in sway here: technology is openly used and discussed; Christians, though a minority, are accepted in society; and polymufs are not relegated to a lower caste: the Wilsh king has a polymuf as his chief adviser. Luke is acclaimed a hero in this new land when he kills the
202:
176:
233:
248:
and appears to be on his way to fulfilling the
Spirits' command to unify the cities of the civilised lands. Then, from beyond the Burning Lands the Wilsh princess Blodwen comes to Winchester to consummate the alliance. However, Luke is much less at ease in the boudoir than on the battlefield: Blodwen
253:
gun. Luke leads the Wilsh army to
Winchester, but after a great slaughter and horrific siege, he fails to breach the walls of the city. The Seers, who still hope to see the warring cities of the south united under one leader, arrive with field artillery, but as he prepares for the final assault on
164:
constitute a separate caste to "true" men and fulfill the mythical role of forging weaponry, along with other metal work. People called "polymufs", who have other disfiguring mutations, are the lowest caste, as menial workers and wage slaves, regardless of whether they are actually physically or
213:
to return to
Winchester as an honoured member of his brother's royal court. Luke is satisfied for the time being to serve as his brother's second in command and confidant. However, his desire for adventure sends him on an expedition to the uncharted territory beyond the Burning Lands, an active
156:
future where, due to a worldwide ecological catastrophe, life has reverted to a militaristic, medieval setting of walled cities and perpetual warfare. Christians are a despised minority, as spiritual matters are in the hands of a priestly class of monastic "Seers" who interpret the will of the
157:"Spirits". There are signs of the past existence of the modern world in the ruins of great cities and "high roads" which dot the harsh landscape, but the Seers have made the technology of the "ancients" anathema, and anyone dabbling in "Science" is immediately put to death.
187:. Luke has had an uneventful childhood and looks forward to his fifteenth year, when he will begin training for his own military career. By a twist of fate he becomes the toast of the city when he leads his team to victory in the annual mock combat
214:
volcanic region to the north. After a perilous journey, the expedition reaches the country of the Wilsh, a wealthy and civilised people who are ruled by the wise and generous King Cymru from his royal seat in the beautiful open city of
285:. Luke's flaws include a copious helping of pride and stubbornness. He interacts awkwardly with women, and is highly intolerant of any dissent or other departure from absolute loyalty, and it transforms him into a near-
712:
351:
702:
153:
52:
717:
707:
476:
697:
607:
317:
118:
99:
71:
307:
344:
183:
Thirteen-year-old Luke is the son of a captain, one of the semi-hereditary caste of officers of the army of his home city of
56:
78:
381:
85:
511:
389:
337:
67:
666:
583:
503:
445:
437:
535:
543:
674:
567:
45:
137:
575:
527:
429:
405:
188:
647:
591:
559:
484:
551:
268:
92:
519:
615:
313:
160:
The catastrophe has also resulted in a greatly increased number of birth defects. People with
639:
468:
397:
361:
145:
141:
262:
One of the enduring consequences of the natural catastrophe which toppled the old order is
599:
17:
263:
691:
275:
Like the heroes of Youd's other post-apocalyptic novels (including the more famous
631:
370:
282:
277:
241:
34:
215:
210:
184:
623:
329:
149:
201:
175:
219:
161:
240:
Luke, readily assuming the role of military leader, extends his rule to
286:
245:
232:
231:
200:
174:
250:
333:
28:
266:, a theme also addressed by Youd in the adult novel
658:
495:
456:
416:
368:
59:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
345:
209:Luke leaves the Seers' sacred sanctuary near
8:
352:
338:
330:
119:Learn how and when to remove this message
140:written by Sam Youd under his pseudonym
298:
306:Christopher, John (17 February 2015).
7:
57:adding citations to reliable sources
281:), Luke is an example of a flawed
25:
713:Works published under a pseudonym
33:
703:British post-apocalyptic novels
205:The cover of the second volume.
44:needs additional citations for
236:The cover of the third volume.
179:The cover of the first volume.
1:
289:by the climax of the series.
144:. The stories are set in the
734:
718:Novels by John Christopher
708:British young adult novels
504:The Twenty-Second Century
390:The City of Gold and Lead
698:Young adult novel series
536:A Scent of White Poppies
446:The Sword of the Spirits
438:Beyond the Burning Lands
227:The Sword of the Spirits
196:Beyond the Burning Lands
133:The Sword of the Spirits
18:Beyond the Burning Lands
675:The Tripods (TV series)
312:. Simon and Schuster.
237:
206:
180:
68:"Sword of the Spirits"
576:A Wrinkle in the Skin
512:The Year of the Comet
430:The Prince in Waiting
406:When the Tripods Came
309:The Prince in Waiting
235:
204:
178:
170:The Prince in Waiting
419:Sword of the Spirits
53:improve this article
552:The World in Winter
382:The White Mountains
269:The World in Winter
165:mentally disabled.
528:The Caves of Night
520:The Death of Grass
238:
207:
181:
138:young adult novels
685:
684:
667:No Blade of Grass
584:The Little People
129:
128:
121:
103:
16:(Redirected from
725:
640:A Dusk of Demons
398:The Pool of Fire
362:John Christopher
354:
347:
340:
331:
324:
323:
303:
154:post-apocalyptic
146:South of England
142:John Christopher
136:is a trilogy of
124:
117:
113:
110:
104:
102:
61:
37:
29:
21:
733:
732:
728:
727:
726:
724:
723:
722:
688:
687:
686:
681:
654:
600:The Lotus Caves
560:Cloud on Silver
544:The Long Voyage
491:
452:
412:
364:
358:
328:
327:
320:
305:
304:
300:
295:
260:
230:
199:
173:
125:
114:
108:
105:
62:
60:
50:
38:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
731:
729:
721:
720:
715:
710:
705:
700:
690:
689:
683:
682:
680:
679:
671:
662:
660:
656:
655:
653:
652:
644:
636:
628:
620:
612:
604:
596:
588:
580:
572:
568:The Possessors
564:
556:
548:
540:
532:
524:
516:
508:
499:
497:
493:
492:
490:
489:
481:
477:New Found Land
473:
464:
462:
454:
453:
451:
450:
442:
434:
425:
423:
414:
413:
411:
410:
402:
394:
386:
377:
375:
366:
365:
359:
357:
356:
349:
342:
334:
326:
325:
318:
297:
296:
294:
291:
264:global cooling
259:
256:
229:
224:
198:
193:
172:
167:
127:
126:
41:
39:
32:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
730:
719:
716:
714:
711:
709:
706:
704:
701:
699:
696:
695:
693:
677:
676:
672:
669:
668:
664:
663:
661:
657:
650:
649:
645:
642:
641:
637:
634:
633:
629:
626:
625:
621:
618:
617:
613:
610:
609:
608:The Guardians
605:
602:
601:
597:
594:
593:
589:
586:
585:
581:
578:
577:
573:
570:
569:
565:
562:
561:
557:
554:
553:
549:
546:
545:
541:
538:
537:
533:
530:
529:
525:
522:
521:
517:
514:
513:
509:
506:
505:
501:
500:
498:
494:
487:
486:
482:
479:
478:
474:
471:
470:
466:
465:
463:
460:
455:
448:
447:
443:
440:
439:
435:
432:
431:
427:
426:
424:
421:
420:
415:
408:
407:
403:
400:
399:
395:
392:
391:
387:
384:
383:
379:
378:
376:
373:
372:
367:
363:
355:
350:
348:
343:
341:
336:
335:
332:
321:
319:9781481419932
315:
311:
310:
302:
299:
292:
290:
288:
284:
280:
279:
273:
271:
270:
265:
257:
255:
252:
247:
243:
234:
228:
225:
223:
221:
217:
212:
203:
197:
194:
192:
190:
186:
177:
171:
168:
166:
163:
158:
155:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
134:
123:
120:
112:
109:February 2022
101:
98:
94:
91:
87:
84:
80:
77:
73:
70: –
69:
65:
64:Find sources:
58:
54:
48:
47:
42:This article
40:
36:
31:
30:
27:
19:
673:
665:
646:
638:
630:
622:
614:
606:
598:
590:
582:
574:
566:
558:
550:
542:
534:
526:
518:
510:
502:
485:Dragon Dance
483:
475:
467:
458:
444:
436:
428:
418:
417:
404:
396:
388:
380:
369:
308:
301:
276:
274:
267:
261:
239:
226:
216:Klan Gothlen
208:
195:
182:
169:
159:
148:, mostly in
132:
131:
130:
115:
106:
96:
89:
82:
75:
63:
51:Please help
46:verification
43:
26:
678:(1984-1985)
659:Adaptations
632:Empty World
496:Other books
371:The Tripods
283:protagonist
278:The Tripods
242:Petersfield
692:Categories
616:Dom and Va
293:References
211:Stonehenge
189:tournament
185:Winchester
79:newspapers
648:Bad Dream
624:Wild Jack
360:Books by
150:Hampshire
592:Pendulum
469:Fireball
459:Fireball
162:dwarfism
461:trilogy
422:trilogy
220:Bayemot
152:, in a
93:scholar
670:(1970)
651:(2003)
643:(1993)
635:(1977)
627:(1974)
619:(1973)
611:(1970)
603:(1969)
595:(1968)
587:(1967)
579:(1965)
571:(1964)
563:(1964)
555:(1962)
547:(1960)
539:(1959)
531:(1958)
523:(1956)
515:(1955)
507:(1954)
488:(1986)
480:(1983)
472:(1981)
449:(1972)
441:(1971)
433:(1970)
409:(1988)
401:(1968)
393:(1967)
385:(1967)
374:series
316:
287:tyrant
258:Themes
246:Romsey
95:
88:
81:
74:
66:
100:JSTOR
86:books
457:The
314:ISBN
251:Sten
244:and
72:news
55:by
694::
272:.
353:e
346:t
339:v
322:.
122:)
116:(
111:)
107:(
97:·
90:·
83:·
76:·
49:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.